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9 Reasons Friends, Family, and Other People Aren’t Buying Your Books, and What to Do About It

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Most writers, due to their creative nature and a career path requiring them to dream up stuff, don’t have the most realistic goals. And yes, I’m among those writers.

I’d really love one of these bad boys.

I wrote my Oscar speech (for Best Original Screenplay, thank you very much) and visualized the whole thing. I was in middle school. I even know what kind of dress I’m wearing and what my hair will look like for crying out loud.

And while I pivoted more toward writing novels in recent years, most of those novels started off as screenplays, and the Hollywood dream is strong within me.

But a dream doesn’t have to involve a designer gown, gorgeous hair, and a lovely statue to be unrealistic.

Raise your hand if you thought most of your list on FB, Twitter, and Instagram would rush to buy your books when you launched. (Yes, my hand is up.)

But they didn’t.

Sure, some of us are lucky to have awesome family members who will shout out about our books from rooftops. I’ve got such family and friends. (But not every friend bought it, obviously.)

Some friends are amazing supporters. They will buy, read, promote and review. And they do it happily and proudly.

Many other friends are fellow writers and you’ve sworn a blood oath (or you know, a promise) to have each other’s backs through thick and thin. Because people who get writers the most are other writers. Being equally (slightly) crazy and weird and fantasy-loving and all…

But…that huge list of thousands of followers/friends…they didn’t buy.

Why?

I mean, if your friends wrote a book, you’d surely buy it and promote it to the best of your ability…

Except, not really, because you can’t buy every book your friends wrote because they are also writers and they write many books.

                                If I shelved a portion of the books written by my friends…

 

So…even you failed yourself about your own expectations of other people.

By the way, I’m making a confession, not putting on blame.

I’ve been there. I’m that writer with tons of writer friends who can’t keep up with the speed they are all writing.

I’m helping out in other ways when I can’t buy or read just yet, but that’s another blog post.

So now that we’ve established friends and family and other people you’ve expected to buy can’t and won’t all buy, let’s go over why.

Then we’ll talk about what to do about it.

Why Friends, Family, and Others Aren’t Buying Your Books

There are several different reasons, and we’ll go over them each. Then I will continue with what you can do about it.

– They actually don’t know you’ve got books out.

Not everyone is on social media.

Not everyone is on the same social media channel.

Or you are not following each other on social media. Following family can be very awkward, indeed.

Even if you are following each other on the same channels, you are a slave to that social network’s ever-changing algorithms and rules.

Most social networks are leaning more and more toward paid advertising so your organic (aka free) reach is plummeting every day.

Maybe 200 of your friends would have seen that launch announcement or news about your discount 5 years ago. Now you are lucky if that status update of yours reaches 20.

As for readers who are strangers to you, this is indeed the biggest problem. They don’t know you exist.

What to do about it:

Either pay for boosted posts via ads or let it go. Ads aren’t the worst idea if you know what you are doing and have money to throw away.

But chances are, they won’t buy it even if they (friends/family/strangers) knew because they’re not your target audience, aka fans of your genre/sub-genre, the tropes you are using, and your writing style.

If you know FB ads or can afford to learn/test/delegate, advertising is a way to reach strangers who are target readers.

Obviously, effective marketing methods such as doing email marketing and Amazon ads well and having many positive reviews will also do a better job of reaching new readers.

Most effective marketing techniques for authors are beyond the scope of this post but I’ll name some authors I follow that are doing it well. These people offer a lot of amazing free and paid resources.

–  Alessandra Torre. Her website is great, and you should definitely catch her webinars on Goodreads.

– Dave Chesson. Chesson runs the Kindlepreneur blog. I also own his keyword tool Publisher rocket.

– Lizzie Chantree (affiliate link to Lizzie’s networking book. You can read my review for the book here.)

– Nick Stephenson: I own Stephenson’s Your First 10K Readers course. I also subscribe to his email and read whatever he posts about marketing. This is a free guide on writing, publishing, and marketing your book.

– Mark Dawson. I’m an email subscriber.

– Ian Chandler. He runs Self-Publishing School. I’m an email subscriber and I watch webinars.

– David Gaughran. I have several of his books and I think his wonderful Starting from Zero course is free.

– Joanna Penn: I subscribe to her blog The Creative Penn, and I own several of her books.

– Sandra Beckwith. She runs the Build Your Bookbuzz blog and has great advice on marketing. Period.

– Penny Sansevieri: She runs Author Marketing Experts blog, and I read several of her books on marketing. (affiliate link)

– Derek Doepker. I watch whenever he is on webinars and I own his course on getting more reviews. (Not an affiliate link. If you scroll down this page, you can see the description of the review training I did.)

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– They don’t know how to buy it.

Buying stuff online can be tricky or at least annoying and time-consuming. You might need to walk them through it.

What to about it:

Sending a direct link to your book’s purchase page is a good idea.

– They don’t want to buy it where you are selling it.

Maybe your book is only available on Amazon, and your readers don’t shop there.

What to do:

You can choose to go for wide distribution. The advantage is, your book will be available on more platforms. The disadvantage is you can’t put your book on Kindle Unlimited if you go wide. You will be paid for the books purchased via Amazon, but you will be giving up getting paid via pages read. This is a decision you need to make for yourself.

(Every time you put your book on KU, it is there for three months. So this is never an absolute decision. You can experiment, compare profits between wide vs. Amazon only and then make an informed decision.)

Currently, I prefer being on KU as an author, and I prefer reading authors who are on KU as well.

 – They can’t buy where you are selling it.

This mostly goes for Kindle Unlimited Authors like myself. KU is not available in all countries.

Per Amazon.com: “Kindle Unlimited is currently available only to US customers on Amazon.com. Customers in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, India, China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and Australia can sign-up for Kindle Unlimited in their local Amazon marketplace…”

Maybe they don’t use KU, or they don’t reside in a country that offers KU.

KU readers pay a monthly membership and this gives them a certain number of books to keep in their library. If they want other books, they can return one and borrow another. So they can read as much as they want for a fixed monthly fee, which is amazing for voracious readers.

What to do:

They can of course always opt for buying your book as opposed to renting it via KU. But then you need to give them the correct link of Amazon for their country of residence. Their shipping addresses are recorded, and with another country’s link, the book will show up with this message: “Not available for purchase in your own country.”

And sometimes, they just won’t be able to purchase via Amazon.

Now, if you’re not on any other platform, you’ve got to let this go. Or, if you decide to publish wide later, you can send them links of your other options when you do.

– The book doesn’t exist in the format they prefer.

Some people prefer audiobooks or paperbacks. This is a choice that costs money, so …

What to do:

If you are on a tight budget, these readers can be let go for now and you can cater to them when you can afford it. Because producing other formats usually costs money.

– They are not in your target audience

Remember how I defined target audience earlier?

If someone only reads horror or political thrillers, they won’t likely enjoy any type of romance, regardless of how well they are written or how much they personally like you.

Maybe they aren’t big readers. If someone only picks the occasional mass paperback recommended by millions of people, they might not read your book. They read once in a while, and you don’t come that heavily advertised yet.

Even just because someone likes your genre, doesn’t mean they like your sub-genres or tropes.

I’m big on thrillers, but I’m super weirded out by ones where therapists are bad guys who prey on their patients.

I read romance like I drink water, but there are so many tropes and endings that I don’t like I wrote a book about it. The book is called How to Write the Ultimate Non-Tragic Romance (aff. link). You can guess how much I hate tragedies.

If your protagonist has a terminal illness, I’m out of there. I had my quota filled a long time ago. Even if your writing flows and you are uber-talented.

You get the idea.

What to do:

You stop talking about your books to these people or at least stop expecting to buy them. Go after your actual target readers instead.

– They are way behind their to-read list

They can be avid readers and among your target audience, but this poses another problem. They already have a million books to read.

What to do:

Be patient. Take a number and get behind in line.

Speaking from experience. I’m so behind my to-read list, I can’t even. And I keep adding more books every day.

– They don’t have the time

Life is too short. Days are even shorter.

Work, kids, friends, family, romance, surviving a pandemic, errands, housework, health issues, transportation, and traffic…

Argh…Even writing this down makes me want to pull my hair out, and I don’t even have kids or pets. (I do have health problems, which does in fact cut my quality time short.)

Whether they are avid readers or not, quality time for reading is often interrupted by life.

What to do:

Leave it. Let go. Move on.

Unless they tell you they want reminders, you need to cut your losses. It sucks, but what are you going to do…

But if they ask, you can always tell them a short blurb in person. Hell, if they ask, tell them the entire plot.

Some people love spoilers and knowing they will like the story might make them more inclined to take a chance.

But don’t dump an entire story on unwilling people, no matter the urge. (I always have the urge to talk about my books. They are my babies. You’re not alone!)

– They can’t afford it right now

Books are expensive. Especially paperbacks and hardcovers. They are even more expensive if the book is from another country, and lousy exchange rates get into play.

What to do:

If people are genuinely only staying away due to prices, you can send them a notification when your books are on sale or ask them if they want a free copy.

Sometimes, all you really want (and/or need) is more eyes on the book.

Don’t pressure anyone, though.

 

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There you go. These are the main reasons why despite having thousands of friends, fans, and other followers on social media, you didn’t sell thousands of copies.

Chances are when you first started to write, you didn’t know just how much you needed to market – whether you’re self-published or traditionally published.

But it is okay. It takes a while to come to terms with it. And even when you accept it is on you to work consistently to get the word out about your work, there are times when you just want to give up.

You don’t, of course.

You adapt. You learn, and you implement.

May great marketing skills be with you, and may more friends, family, fans, and strangers rush to buy your books and gush about them everywhere.

 

3 Things to Avoid When Writing a Thriller (According to an Avid Thriller Fan)

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Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay.

I’m not a bestselling thriller author, so why write this article?

Because for anyone writing a solid thriller, there is a chance I’m in your target audience as a thriller reader and watcher.

Legal, medical, psychological, horror, action, romantic…I’m all for these thriller subgenres and more.

I consume quite a bit of it, and when I’m finally confident in my idea and story, I’ll also write thrillers. (But I am slightly more in love with writing romance, so those next books will get written first.)

I find thrillers a very tricky genre to write as the audience usually has very high expectations, has already seen many variations of your characters, conflicts, and main concept. They are sick of seeing certain twists, tropes, and character and event types.

For instance, I am not fond of amnesia, whether I come across it in a thriller, romance, or romantic thriller.

So, while you’re obviously free to write the story you want to write, it will help you to keep in mind audience expectations, and what will possibly disappoint them. And I’m by no means the only thriller fan who doesn’t want to see the tropes I’ll mention below.

This list is short and unexhaustive. But avoiding these three (or finding satisfying ways to justify them) will improve your story and please your readers.

Ready? Let’s get ready to thrill and be thrilled.

  • Stupid protagonists that make it really hard to root for their survival

This is truly the bane of my existence as a fan of the genre.

Look, I get it. It’s your job as a thriller writer to put your protagonists in increasingly dangerous situations. And we are only human. Fueled by stress, adrenalin and fear, we are likely to make some irrational decisions.

But, and this is a crucial but, there is humanly stupid/afraid… then there is intolerable idiot.

I’ll give you an example.

Let’s say you are in the wilderness and you run into a huge, angry bear. What do you do?

I’m by no means claiming that I can survive that with my body and integrity intact. I’d probably die from a heart attack. Or throw up and freeze. Angry bears are scary as hell!

But I can tell you what I most definitely wouldn’t do. I wouldn’t antagonize the bear on purpose or attempt to fight it with my bare hands.

Heard a noise when alone in the house? Why would you call out hello? Are you freaking kidding me? You stay quiet, check around with a potential weapon like a baseball bat or something heavy and call for help on your phone.

Or better yet, hide and call the cops. Don’t say hello. This is not a cute stranger at a coffee shop. This is a potential intruder. And in case you are saying it might be a friend, write better friends. You know, those who aren’t likely to drop in announced in the middle of the night, making all sorts of weird and loud noises.

But this is not the only dumb thing most thriller main characters do, is it?

They hide their spare key under a mattress. I mean, regardless of the genre, unless the movie takes place in the safest town of a country like Norway, or you created a utopia where crime doesn’t exist, don’t make your characters put a key where it will be easily found.

And if you do make them put a spare key for anyone to find, for the love of all you hold dear, please don’t make them act angry, surprised, or scared when someone unwelcome comes in.

And the award for the dumbest action, though, goes to characters who aren’t particularly big, strong, or fast. They don’t know martial arts. They don’t know how to shoot a gun. They can’t parkour. They can’t lift grown men. They don’t have any sleuthing or policing skills.

And yet, when they are suspicious, they don’t call the cops. Or hire a PI. Or even talk to a bunch of friends and take them along. Taking your friends into dangerous places is still stupid, but way smarter than going alone and unprepared.

These characters go into buildings that are about to crumble. Buildings so dangerous that you don’t need a ghost or a serial killer to put you in danger. And then they die or get seriously injured. And what do you think the audience feels when this happens? How do you feel when this happens?

Don’t make your characters act stupid.

If you do, make sure you compensate for this in another way.

Maybe your character is depressed and isn’t afraid to die. Maybe he/she is a daredevil and the adrenalin rush makes up for all the threats according to them.

Maybe they are so desperate that there is a bigger chance to survive whatever/whoever is after them that they enter into a dark alley without so much as a car key.

Then yes, you might get a pass. But be aware you’d be walking a thin line.

And if thrillers have shown us anything, if the protagonist is a therapist, the worse we need to expect. And this brings us to mistake #2:

– Incompetent/unethical/irrational/evil therapist characters

Many thrillers love a therapist who is (un)intentionally bad at their job for some reason. Cough, Intersection, cough.

In Final Analysis (1992), Richard Gere’s therapist sleeps with Kim Basinger, who happens to be his patient’s sister. Look, we all get how hot Basinger is, but you gotta keep it in your pants for the sake of your profession.

Of course, this will lead him down a very dangerous path. Are we surprised or scared about anything that happens to him? Not really. And I love Richard Gere.

The 90s are filled with movies from different genres where there is a prominent therapist character who sleeps with a patient. Unethical, bad, and irrational all in one.

Lots of dangerous things happen to this therapist, and you’re like, yeah, whatever man. Let the psycho get him/her. Or let them be fired or whatever.

It’s hard enough to convince people about the validity of therapy and the existence of good therapists without pop culture shoving more fictional bad therapists down our throats.

If you are writing a therapist, it might be a good idea to not make them sleep with patients or patient relatives.

If a therapist has a therapist, this is a good sign. It means they walk the walk. Would you trust a doctor who didn’t go to a doctor when they were sick?

You get bonus points for making your therapist deal with emotionally taxing situations in ways they’d recommend their patients.

Not making your therapist live an isolated life or having them lead a co-dependent and/or toxic relationship would also be a nice change.

I’m not saying all therapists are good at their jobs or taking their own advice. But we have seen enough incompetent and/or bad therapists who make terrible life choices during the entire story.

– Stupid villains

Stupid villains underestimate their enemies and loved ones.

They are impulsive and are bad at making critical decisions.

They have horrible timing.

They forget to check things and take precautions.

They overestimate themselves.

They surround themselves with people who can catch them.

***

Your characters don’t need to be super intelligent. But a little common sense goes a long way when they are planning things or reacting to things.

What about you? What thriller writing choices drive you up the wall as a writer or reader of the genre?

 

(Un)Productivity in the Time of Health Problems

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Not me. But I also love writing outside as much as the weather and my immune system allow.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, it’s no extra cost to you, but I make a few bucks – which helps me run this blog.

For some reason, I’ve always been fascinated by the title of the novel Love in the Time of Cholera. Unfortunately, I still haven’t read it or saw the movie adaptation since I’m afraid it will be too sad. (Is it too sad? Does it have a happy ending? Please spoil that without giving too much away.)

I write about the relationship between health and productivity because, like many writers, I suffer from a bunch of health problems that threaten to be debilitating at times.

In addition to OCD, I have chronic gastritis. (And a weak immune system that gives me colds often.)

Unfortunately, these two compete to make each other worse. If my gastritis acts up, so does my OCD. And if my OCD acts up, my gastritis flares up. Anxiety and irrational fears affect the stomach badly. Who knew? (Yes, I’m being sarcastic.)

I am not fond of my health issues or talking about them, really, but I believe it is helpful to others when I share. So that we aren’t hard on ourselves when we fail to be productive.

I also wanted to tell you why I haven’t posted on the blog since June. I’m hoping I’ll do better from September on.

Here’s an incomprehensive list of what I have been up to these last couple of months:

– I sold this piece to Thrillist: The Best Spanish-Language Netflix Original TV Shows.

– I applied for writing gigs, but the rates turned out to be disappointing so I didn’t accept.

– I’ve prepared paperback versions for my novels on Amazon and ordered them to check. (Then I noticed a typo regarding my website and have to correct that now.) If you like my novel covers, I work with Michelle Fairbanks. (And no, she doesn’t pay me anything for recommending her.:))

– I went on a beach vacation and got to sort of enjoy it. (Gastritis isn’t my only issue. I also have gluten and lactose insensitivity, and I can’t resist all the chocolate cake served at resorts). Which reminds me, I still have to put my review up on my travel blog.

– A great writer friend gifted me a week of MasterClass, and I dove into James Patterson’s class. Thriller is my favorite genre to read along with romance, and I’m dying to create a thriller at some point. (I do have some ideas. Now if I could only develop the protagonist and the plot…As a side effect, I decided to buy MasterClass for myself, because I also want to take the classes of Neil Gaiman, Malcolm Gladwell, Shonda Rhimes, and Dan Brown to start.)

– I read quite a few books, most of them on writing. With novels, I loved Katie Fforde’s A Rose Petal Summer, and I’m currently enjoying Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time.

– I binged Clickbait (it was really engaging), Downtown Abbey (I’m still brainstorming related article topics; I’m impatiently counting down till Netflix premieres the film!), and the second season of Control Z. (I can’t recommend this one enough.)

– I started writing A Change Would Do You Better, the sequel to my romcom drama A Change Would Do You Good.

This is me.

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Let me know in the comments how you have been doing, whether you’ve had to deal with unproductive periods and why.

 

Want to read more by me about health and writing? Check out these posts below.

–  How to Manage the Evil Three: Rejection, Depression & Procrastination

– A Love Letter to All Freelancers With a Health Condition

– Benefits of Having a Cold for Freelance Writers

– 9 Productive Things Writers Can Do When They Have a Cold

 

 

Oceans, Surfing, and Romance: A Beach Read from Yours Truly

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*This post was originally published on the 7th of June. It has been updated.

Trivia for A Change Would Do You Good and The Ocean

– Set in San Diego, two major characters (Kevin and Denise) are professional surfers. Their best friends? Three other pro surfers.

– This is a romcom drama featuring an ensemble cast, but the protagonist is clear: Janie. So is the male protagonist, aka her love interest. And you guessed, it’s pro surfer Kevin.

Want to picture what he is like? Imagine Chris Hemsworth, pre-Thor body. Also with slightly shorter hair. (Yes, Kevin is gorgeous. Aren’t most romance leads?)

– Most of the characters are connected by the near-the-beach apartment building they live in. A few characters don’t live in that building but three have beach houses. (Don’t worry, I do explain their finances.)

– There are at least two romantic/sexy scenes set on the beach.

– There’s plenty of outdoor activity. Most of my characters live life to the fullest, but my surfer characters (and especially Kevin) have a huge lust for life. They feel the most alive when they are dancing with the waves. But of course, there is also swimming, skydiving, and camping.

– Movie reference in the novel: Point Break (the original)

– Characters frequently attend and host beach parties. As they should.

 

What’s this author’s relationship to the ocean?

I am a total beach lover.

I don’t live by an ocean, but a sea. It takes me a 20 minute-walk to reach the water where I live. My favorite coffee shop has two stories, and both see the sea.

In the summer, I love having a beach vacation: the whole sand/sea/sun package. My holidays are both lazy and active: I rarely ever leave the resort, but I’m almost always going to the water. I spend more time in it than by it.

That would be my feet during one of the said vacations. Kemer, Antalya, Turkey.

The idea for A Change Would Do You Good came to me after I spent a month in California. I was 15 and I stayed at a building that served as a campus for eclectic groups: seniors who loved retirement activities, cheerleaders and footballers, language learners…It really was people of all ages and backgrounds, and I loved it.

At nights, I’d walk to the beach with my friends. Beach houses hosted parties. Anyone was welcome to come in. Different houses played different types of music, and I distinctly remember a rock band performing on a balcony.

In the mornings, I’d ride my rented bike around and to the beach. I’d ride for like 30-45 minutes before breakfast. (I’m currently digging around the apartment for my Cali photos, all taken by non-digital cameras. Sigh.)

Because I was 15 and from another country, I did have camp counselors. One of them also gave surfing lessons. I regret not taking him up on them, but I chickened out. I know how to swim, but I’m by no means great at it. I’ve never been particularly great at physical balancing acts, and sea waves are typically no match for an ocean’s.

Now in my 30s, I really want to learn surfing. Fingers crossed the pandemic leaves us soon and we can travel freely. There are some spots in Turkey where this water sport is possible. Which will be one of my upcoming travel posts on my travel blog Overstuffed Suitcase.

What’s the book about? A Change Would Do You Good Blurb:

Janie yearns for change.

Ever since her boyfriend died and their mutual best friends moved to Canada, she’s been lost and unable to enjoy life.

Nothing a nice new wardrobe, job, car, and a place in another city can’t fix. Right? The job and apartment are great, but her eccentric neighbors will be a challenge to get used to:

  • Twenty-year-old Ian is obsessed with curing his agoraphobic mom Michelle, and he lashes out by crashing into other people’s cars for fun.
  • Part-time model/fashion designer Ben could win the worst boyfriend award, and his miserable girlfriend Linda hates her career.
  • Goth metal chick Ashley loves drugs, guns, and weird parties.
  • Lackluster cops Sam and Tom want a more exciting life.

Luckily Janie has met Greg, a handsome therapist who might be the best friend a person can have. And her downstairs neighbor Kevin, a pro surfer with the looks of a Norse god, seems fun and friendly enough.

Except neither is ready for how intense their chemistry will be. Janie’s not over her boyfriend. Kevin has dated all the gorgeous women in California. Can they handle their intense feelings? Or will their wildly different romantic pasts get in the way?

With all the antics and chaos going on, only one thing seems certain: Janie’s neighbors provide more distraction and change than she was ever ready for.

A Change Would Do You Good is a romcom drama with an ensemble cast. Escape to this San Diego beach party complete with electrifying music, the whiff of salty air, and the sound of surfer-friendly waves.

 

A Change Would Do You Good First Chapter

Los Angeles

 

Janie sat in her therapist Dr. Lucia Lopez’s office for the twenty-seventh time. She had been seeing her for about seven months.

Eight months ago, her boyfriend Lenny had died. Seven months ago, to add insult to injury, her two best friends Sarah and Andy had moved to Canada. That was when Janie knew she wouldn’t survive this without professional help.

It was the right call. They had talked through her pain, as well as feelings of abandonment and betrayal. Who would move abroad when their best friend was mourning the loss of her boyfriend? He had died two days before her thirty-fifth birthday. And a few weeks after his.

But, of course, it wasn’t that simple. Sarah and Andy weren’t just Janie’s best friends. They were also Lenny’s. Not that grief was, or ever should be a competitive sport.  If it were, they would all probably be sharing the medal for first place: Sarah and Lenny had met when they were in diapers. Literally. Their parents were neighbors and dear friends. Luckily for them, their kids — both only children — had taken to each other immediately. Sarah had been inconsolable when Lenny’s father took a job in New York; they were in ninth grade. That’s when she met Janie.

Andy was Lenny’s college roommate. The two bonded over their dream to become Formula 1 drivers and realized it together.

Lenny had introduced Sarah to Andy, and after their move back to LA the four of them had been inseparable. Lenny was a close friend for years before he and Janie started dating.

Yes, the three of them were in immense pain. The difference was Sarah and Andy had each other. And Vancouver had them.

To be fair, Janie did see the appeal of making a new start in a new environment. Yes, she still felt a bit let down. But she was no longer angry with her friends. Talking things through with her therapist had helped immensely.

Lopez observed her patient as Janie studied the beautiful scenic photos of San Diego sprucing up the walls. She was particularly drawn to the blue-dominant one, where high, wild waves crashed onto the golden beach sand.

“Ever been?” Her therapist asked.

“When I was a kid. We vacationed there a lot. It was lovely.”

“Still is.”

Janie could hardly look away from the pictures. She was thinking. Planning. “I never went there with Lenny.”

“Might be just what you need to start over,” her therapist prompted.

“I turned down a job there a couple of weeks ago. Loved the firm. Loved what they offered. But I wasn’t sure I could handle such a huge change.”

“And now?” Janie leaned back and smiled. Her therapist continued. “Being the new person in an environment can provide a lot of distraction. And I definitely encourage you to go out and meet as many new people as you can. Still, never hurts to have someone you can call.” Lopez picked at the neatly stacked Rolodex on her desk. She searched a bit before she found the name she wanted. She took the card out and handed it to Janie. “Greg’s a good friend of mine from school. He’s a therapist himself, but he works for a corporation.”

Janie threw her a curious look.

“I’m sure he can recommend a few decent local therapists should you need one, but I’m really just giving you the number of a friend. He can show you around. Introduce you to people,” the therapist explained.

“Won’t he be weirded out? Me being your patient?”

“Janie, you’re just going through a tough time. And honestly, I think you will hit it off.” Janie looked horrified. The therapist laughed a little. “Relax. I’m not matchmaking. I know you’re not ready to date again. And Greg is seeing someone. But he makes a damn good friend.”

“Thank you,” Janie said gratefully.

*

Janie wasted no time calling Greg when she went home. If she were going to change cities, she might as well start making friends. He sounded even more pleasant than described.

She made her second call to Ellen Parker, the head of the San Diego fashion design firm who had offered her the job.

*

Janie was in her bedroom, hastily packing the remainder of her wardrobe into the suitcase on her bed. She wanted to be out of there like yesterday. Her older brother Peter sat next to the suitcase, disapproving, which was his default mode. Janie kept ignoring him. That was her default in their relationship. He’d never change. And on the plus side, he couldn’t stand being ignored.

Janie looked at her almost full suitcase, and then at the other fully-packed carry-on on the floor. Her closet was far from empty. Peter read her mind.

“That’s what happens when you shop non-stop for three weeks.” Peter pointed out the obvious. Janie kept packing. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” he pressed.

She went into the bathroom. The moment she was out of sight, Peter unzipped the suitcase on the bed and threw the clothes back into the wardrobe.

Janie returned with her toiletries and saw Peter unpacking. “What the hell?” She darted to her bed, pushing him aside. She dumped the toiletries on the bed and quickly recovered the items from the wardrobe, throwing them back into the suitcase until it couldn’t take any more. Then she zipped it shut with one swift, angry pull.

“Hey, take it easy. You know I have nothing against you moving on. But transforming your whole life to do it?”

“Remind me, when did the love of your life die?” She lifted her suitcase from the bed and put it on the floor. She dragged the carry-ons as she exited the room.

Peter followed her outside. As soon as he saw the new red Chevrolet Camaro parked in the driveway, his eyes almost left their sockets – cartoon style. “What was wrong with your perfectly normal car?”

Janie just placed her suitcases in the trunk and shut it. The backseat was full of photo albums, DVDs and CDs.

“Do you have any savings left at all? And why are you still traveling like it’s the 90s?”

Janie smirked at the question. Peter looked like he might have a heart attack soon. She got in the car and closed the door. She took out what looked like a brand-new phone from her bag, gestured him to call her and drove away.

Peter frowned, then instinctively fished out his phone to test his theory. He dialed Janie’s number. No longer in use.

*

Janie sped away in her convertible. Her car’s speakers blasted AC/DC’s Highway to Hell for good measure. She smiled as she mouthed the lyrics, ironically feeling like she was escaping hell.

*

Janie looked out of the window of her new fourth-story apartment. She could see the beach down the road. On quieter days, she bet she could hear the waves splashing on the shore.

The neighborhood was stunning with just enough colorful buildings. Not too crowded. The tallest ones had five or six floors at the most, giving everyone space to breathe.

The inhabitants were intent on making the most of the beach. People who lived here weren’t exactly rich, but they didn’t have money problems either. Not that Janie cared about that. It would just be nice to hit Peter with the facts when he started nagging that she’d downgraded her life somehow.

*

A couple of hours later, Janie sat on her sofa and took in her spacious two-bedroom apartment. It was modern and vibrant without being too quirky. It was completely her. She had only a few boxes left to unpack. She smiled to herself, dialed her mom on her cell and left a message.

“Hi, mom. Just calling to say I’m almost settled. This place is amazing. Remember, you can’t give this number to Peter. Or my address. Not yet.”

She hung up and dialed Greg. Got his voicemail.

“Hey! You were right. This place is something else. Thanks for everything. Let me know when you want to meet up.”

*

Past midnight, Janie was sound asleep in her bed. Suddenly, loud hardcore metal music with brutal vocals blasted from downstairs and jolted her awake.

“What the hell?” she yelled and tried to go back to sleep. She buried her head in her pillow. The music continued. Frustrated, she took her MP3 player from her top night table drawer. She put her earphones on. Before she could push play, she heard the loud crack of a gunshot. Then another.

Shaking off her initial panic, Janie dialed 911.

*******

 

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